Proto-Circassian


Proto-Circassian is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Adyghean and Kabardian languages.

Phonology

Consonants

The consonant system is reconstructed with a four-way phonation contrast in stops and affricates, and a two-way contrast in fricatives.

Aspirated consonants to plain

In the Proto-Circassian there was a series of aspirated consonants that survived in the Shapsug and Bzhedugh dialect while they became plain consonants in the other dialects.
WordProto
Circassian
Shapsug
Bzhedug
Abzakh
Chemgui
Kabardian
noisepʰa pʰa pa pa
sharppʰaːɣa pʰaːɣa paːɣa paːɣa
pillowʂħaːntʰa ʂħaːtʰa ʂħaːnta ɕħaːnta
woolt͡sʰə t͡sʰə t͡sə t͡sə
brothert͡ʃʰə ʃʰə ʃə qʷaʃ
lameɬaːʃʰa ɬaːʃʰa ɬaːʃa ɬaːʃa
thighkʰʷa kʰʷa kʷa kʷa
graveqʰa qʰa qa q͡χa
pigqʷʰa qʷʰa qʷa q͡χʷa

Plain voiceless consonants to voiced

In the Proto-Circassian there was a series of tense consonants that became voiced in the eastern dialects.
WordProto
Circassian
Bzhedug
Chemgui
BaslaneyKabardian
weta ta da da
leadertħamaːta tħamaːta tħamaːda tħamaːda
fishpt͡saʐəja pt͡saʐəja bd͡zaʐej bd͡zaʑej
glassaːpkʲ aːpt͡ʃ ʔaːbɡʲ ʔaːbd͡ʒ
chickenkʲat t͡ʃatə ɡʲad d͡ʒad
nightt͡ʃaɕ t͡ʃaɕə d͡ʒaɕ ʒaɕ
villaget͡ʃəɮa t͡ʃəɮa d͡ʒəɮa ʒəɮa
cowt͡ʃam t͡ʃamə d͡ʒam ʒam
treet͡ʂəɣ t͡ʂəɣə d͡ʐəɣ ʒəɣ
mouset͡səʁʷa t͡səʁʷa d͡zəʁʷa d͡zəʁʷa
shortkʲʼaːkʷa t͡ʃʼaːkʷa kʲʼaːɡʷa t͡ʃʼaːɡʷa
wheatkʷat͡s kʷat͡sə ɡʷad͡z ɡʷad͡z

Velar consonants to palato-alveolar

In the Proto-Circassian language there exist a palatalized voiced velar stop , a palatalized aspirated voiceless velar stop, a palatalized voiceless velar stop and a palatalized velar ejective . The consonants гь, кь and кӏь survive in the Shapsug dialect, in the Besleney dialect and in the Kabardian Uzunyayla dialect. In other Circassian dialects they were merged with the palato-alveolar consonants дж, ч and кӏ respectively.
WordProto
Circassian
ShapsugBzhedug
Chemgui
Abzakh
BaslaneyKabardian
to coughpskʲʰan pskʲʰan pst͡ʃan pskʲan pst͡ʃan
gameɡʲaɡʷ ɡʲaɡʷ d͡ʒaɡʷ ɡʲaɡʷ d͡ʒaɡʷ
shirtɡʲaːna ɡʲaːna d͡ʒːna ɡʲaːna d͡ʒːna
glassaːpkʲ aːpkʲ aːpt͡ʃ ʔaːbɡʲ ʔaːbd͡ʒ
chickenkʲat kʲat t͡ʃatə ɡʲad d͡ʒad
shortkʲʼaːkʷa kʲʼaːkʷa t͡ʃʼaːkʷa kʲʼaːɡʷa t͡ʃʼaːɡʷa
ropekʲʼaːpsa kʲʼaːpsa t͡ʃʼaːpsa kʲʼaːpsa t͡ʃʼaːpsa

Affricate to fricative

In the Abzakh and the Kabardian dialects, the affricate postalveolar consonants became fricative.
WordProto
Circassian
Bzhedug
Chemgui
AbzakhBaslaneyKabardian
foxbaːd͡ʒa baːd͡ʒa baːʒa baːd͡ʒa baːʒa
villageqʷaːd͡ʒa qʷaːd͡ʒa qʷaːʒa qʷaːd͡ʒa qʷaːʒa
villaget͡ʃəɮa t͡ʃəɮa ʃəɮa d͡ʒəɮa ʒəɮa
nightt͡ʃaɕ t͡ʃaɕə ʃaɕə d͡ʒaɕ ʒaɕ
cowt͡ʃam t͡ʃamə ʃamə d͡ʒam ʒam
newt͡ʃʼa t͡ʃʼa ʃʼa t͡ʃʼa ɕʼa
wintert͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa t͡ʃʼəmaːfa ʃʼəmaːfa t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ɕʼəmaːxʷa
young-mant͡ʃʼaːɮa t͡ʃʼaːɮa ʔʲaːɮa t͡ʃʼaːɮa ɕʼaːɮa
to sleept͡ʂəjan t͡ʂəjan ʂəjan d͡ʐajən ʒajən
treet͡ʂəɣ t͡ʂəɣə ʂəɣə d͡ʐəɣ ʒəɣ
to runt͡ʂan t͡ʂan tʂan d͡ʐan ʒan
areat͡ʂʼəpʼa t͡ʂʼəpʼa ʃʼəpʼa t͡ʂʼəpʼa ɕʼəpʼa
ironʁʷət͡ʂʼə ʁʷət͡ʂʼə ʃʼəpʼa ʁʷət͡ʂʼə ɕʼəpʼa

Labialized voiceless velar fricative

Proto-Circassian had a labialized voiceless velar fricative which survived in the eastern dialects while it became a voiceless labiodental fricative in the western dialects.
WordProto
Circassian
WesternEastern
humant͡sʼəxʷ t͡sʼəf t͡sʼəxʷ
whitexʷəʑ fəʑə xʷəʑ
hotxʷaːba faːba xʷaːba
daymaːxʷa maːfa maːxʷa

Labialized postalveolar

Proto-Circassian had a series of labialized postalveolar consonants. These consonants survived in the western dialects while they became labiodental consonants in the eastern dialects.
WordProto
Circassian
WesternEastern
oxt͡ɕʷə t͡ɕʷə
shoet͡ɕʷaːqa t͡ɕʷaːqa vaːqa
starʑʷaːʁʷa ʑʷaːʁʷa vaːʁʷa
stoneməʑʷa məʑʷa məva
narrowzaʑʷə zaʑʷə zavə
you ɕʷa ɕʷa fa
honeyɕʷaw ɕʷaw faw
wifeɕʷəz ɕʷəz fəz
blackɕʷʼət͡sʼa ɕʷʼət͡sʼa fʼət͡sʼa
fireмашӏо машӏо мафӏэ
dirtyɕʷʼajəɕʷʼajəfʼaj

Grammar

Numbers

Schleicher's fable

in Proto-Circassian:

χʷǝ č́ʷara-gjǝ
χʷǝ ja laśʷam mә q́ˤ:an
č́ʷara pǝʎ́an;
mǝ χwanǝta k:ʷǝm q:irǝ,
mǝ čʷǝχʷa čʷam,
mǝ ć̣ǝm pasa mǝš́ʷrǝ.
χʷǝ č́ʷara q̇́ˤan:
"źǝʁʷǝ sā ǵʷǝ,
q:ać̣am ć̣arǝ č́ʷara ḳ́ʷarǝ."
č́ʷara q̇́ˤan: "q:́ˤʷa χʷǝ!
źǝʁʷǝ š́a ǵʷǝ ć̣arǝ,
q:ać̣a, ł́a, č́ʷara laśʷam
ʎ́ʷa ḳ́ač̣ʷǝm čǝ-wǝ,
χʷiara-gjǝ laśʷam mә q́ˤ:a."
nǝ q:́aˤʷasa χʷǝ rǝq:ʷada q:ˤʷan.